The second term at African Christian University was Over the last school term, at ACU we have been learning about Baptist History, Evangelism and Missions. One striking lesson that has stood out for me has been humility in the face of great achievements in the Lord’s work of the pioneer missionaries. Two giants of missionary work, William Carey and David Livingstone, left us profound examples of humility in gospel service:
William Carey, known as the "Father of Modern Missions," spent 41 years in India without furlough. During this time, he translated the Bible into over 40 languages and dialects, founded the first degree-granting university in Asia, and spearheaded a global missionary movement. Yet, after such monumental work, he chose this humble epitaph for his tombstone:
"A wretched, poor, and helpless worm, On Thy kind arms I fall."
David Livingstone, the famed explorer and missionary to Africa, when addressing students at Cambridge about his "sacrifices," responded:
"I never made a sacrifice. [...] It is emphatically no sacrifice. Say rather it is a privilege. Anxiety, sickness, suffering, or danger, now and then, with a foregoing of the common conveniences and charities of this life, may make us pause, and cause the spirit to waver, and the soul to sink; but let this only be for a moment. All these are nothing when compared with the glory which shall be revealed in and for us."
These men, despite their monumental achievements, saw their work not as personal accomplishment, but as joyful obedience to Christ's call to take the gospel to the ends of the world.
The Moravians, often unsung heroes of Protestant missions, embodied remarkable humility. Dating back to 1457, their mission work predated many well-known missionary movements. These devoted Christians willingly served in the most challenging and dangerous locations, from the Caribbean to Greenland, often at great personal cost. Some even expressed readiness to sell themselves into slavery to reach the enslaved. Despite establishing long-lasting missions, influencing future missionaries like William Carey, and sending thousands of workers globally, the Moravians sought no acclaim. Their legacy is one of quiet, persistent service, placing the gospel's spread above personal recognition.
Oh that God might burn our hearts with the words of apostle Paul:
"What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed as THE LORD ASSIGNED to each. I planted, Apollos watered but GOD GAVE the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but GOD WHO GIVES the growth" 1 Corinthians 3:5-7
#MissionaryHumility #WilliamCarey #DavidLivingstone #Moravians
